


Autism

by Skyline_e



Series: Mental Health [10]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Autism, Autism Spectrum, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, Mental Health Issues, mental health, mental health story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28923099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyline_e/pseuds/Skyline_e
Summary: Whitebeard wants another child and goes to the orphanage and finds Ace, who has (mild) autism, and Whitebeard adopts Ace and starts to learn how to help Ace through hard days. (A mental health story)
Series: Mental Health [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/681875
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	Autism

**Author's Note:**

> _ Hello everyone, here is the next instalment of the mental health series _
> 
> _ This will take on the issue of having autism, which has been requested by many _
> 
> _ I did my best of research, as well as being on the autism spectrum as a child myself, but  _ I manage it better now, so I’m not bothered by it as an adult. _ I am glad to be able to do this as this is a fic I have planned for a while, and people have been requesting this. Autism doesn't usually come alone, as in there are other issues, both mental and physical, like epilepsy. Ace is just going to have autism in this, but not a too serious one as he has all his language abilities and is not mentally challenged, other than the autism. I don't want to make him have a serious case as that would be a bit hard to write I feel, and a lot of repetition, as it would be a breakdown and meltdown every time something happened. That being said, not every autism is the same, there are different degrees and how people handle it. This might be right for some, but not others, but it is what I found researching. I hope you still enjoy this, and remember I can make a more serious case in my one shot series if it’s wanted _
> 
> _ This will be from Whitebeard’s POV, not Ace’s _
> 
> _ Hope you enjoy _
> 
> _ Read and relax _

Whitebeard walked into the orphanage with Marco, hoping to find another kid to adopt. Izou had just moved out and he wanted another child at home. They had just been inside and now were outside where most were. They had spoken with a few children, but no one really fit he felt. Whitebeard looked at the children outside, everyone playing with each other. But then he saw a child sitting alone and reading a book. Why wasn't he playing with the rest? "Why is he alone?" The worker sighed. "That's Ace. He got autism. He doesn't play well with others. No one wants him. Dumped on us when his first adoptive parents found out. He acted way out before, biting others and hitting, but he has grown a lot fast." Whitebeard frowned. "What about his real parents?" Mika shook her head. "Dead, both of them." That didn't sound good. "What's autism?" Mika hummed. "Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, ASD, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Autism children can be tough to handle, as they don't get the normal communication or behavior of others. They usually don't get sarcasm and they often just tell the truth. It can be really tough." Whitebeard nodded, that sounded to be a bit tough, but he felt with the child.

Whitebeard looked at Mika. "Would there be any issues adopting him? Because of this autism?" Mika shook her head. "No, nothing like that. But, I would advise to rethink it. It can be tough dealing with him, especially when he does things wrong, he doesn't get what he did wrong. He likes routines, and when those change, it bothers him a lot. All small noises seem to distract him, sometimes making him distressed. They can sometimes, often actually, seem immature, and sometimes, adultlike. Ace is good at acting like an adult. He is also 10 years old." Whitebeard nodded. He was the same age as Thatch, which could be good. Having someone his age would be nice, he thought. He then sent a look at Marco, who nodded. "I like this idea, he seems kind, yoi." Mika nodded. "Oh, he is. He cares for everything and everyone. But, he usually spends his time alone. He knows he is different." Whitebeard nodded. "I think we want him." He sent a look at Marco, who nodded. "I agree. And he's the same age as Thatch, yoi. I think he would fit." That was good, he wanted Marco to be in on this.

Mika then nodded. "That's fine. Shall we get to the paperwork? Or do you want to meet him first?" Whitebeard thought for a second. "Could we get a minute with him?" Mika nodded. "Yes. You know where my office is." Whitebeard nodded and Mika went away, and they walked over to Ace, who didn't react to them sitting down. "Ace?" Tried Whitebeard, and Ace blinked, turning to look at him. At first, he had a calm face, but he soon smiled. "Yes?" Whitebeard moved a hand towards his book. "What are you reading?" Ace blinked, before he looked down at his book, showing the cover to him. _Where the Wild Things are._ He had heard about that book, which also was a movie. Maybe they should rent it when Ace was done reading it. "How are you?" Asked Whitebeard, and Ace gave a small nod, still smiling. "Fine. A bit cold." Whitebeard blinked, before he frowned. "Why are you outside then?" Ace's face fell as well. "Because we're supposed to be outside now. It's not that cold." It wasn't, but the wind had a small bite to it.

Ace then tilted his head a bit. "Are you here to adopt someone?" That had Whitebeard smile again, and Ace did as well. "Yes, we are. I want another child." Ace nodded. "How many do you have?" Whitebeard hummed. "6. I have 6 now, I want 7 as 3 are grown ups now." Ace nodded. "That's many." It was, but Whitebeard loved it. His youngest was Haruta, who was 5, and then there was Thatch at 10, and Namur at 11. There was also Izou, who was 18, Rakuyo, who was 20, and then Marco, who was 25. He wanted Marco to join in on this decision as he was helping with the children as he stayed home, just to do that. He had work with him, Marco now being one of the CEOs of his company, together with him. They had a lot of free time at times, and he wanted another child, as Izou had just moved out.

Whitebeard was about to speak up again, when a woman yelled for them to come inside, and Ace nodded. "I need to go. Nice speaking to you." Ace then left, taking his book with him. They then headed inside to Mika's office, who was waiting for them, and she smiled when they came into the room. "How did it go?" Whitebeard nodded. "Fine, I think. His face fell once." Mika nodded. "Did your face fall?" Whitebeard blinked, before he nodded, and Mika did as well. "He reflects, it's easier than staring blankly." Whitebeard nodded, that made sense. Ace had smiled again when he had smiled again. "Does he have own feelings?" Mika hummed. "Good questions. Yes, he does. He just doesn't know how to reflect them himself at times, so he goes by those around him most times." Okay, that made sense. Mika then took some papers out. "Also, he can outgrow autism, many children do, but many also don't. Many have autism as children, and are really bothered by it, but not nearly as bothered by it as adults." Whitebeard nodded, that was good to know. Mika then took some more papers out. "I have a feeling you want to adopt him." Whitebeard nodded. "We do. " Mika smiled. "Good. He has trouble with change, so the first few months might be tough." Whitebeard nodded. "That's fine. We'll read up about this." Mika nodded. "Good."

Mika then showed a few papers to him ."I just need your signature here, here, and here." She said as she moved some papers. He had done this before, with Izou, all those years ago. He remembers Mika from then, she was a kind woman. As that was done, Mika nodded. "Good. You can come back tomorrow, and I will have a chat with Ace tonight, to tell him he got adopted by you. so he can pack his things."

Whitebeard nodded. "What about the book? Is that his? He seemed to like it." Mika shook her head. "No, it's not his. But, he has read that story at least a hundred times." Whitebeard blinked. "He has?" Mika nodded. "He likes routines and likes things he knows. He hates loud sounds, as well as low sounds. It is a lot to remember and he can be hard to care for because of it. He can be hyperactive at times, and he has issues calming down from these, same with sleep issues. He has at times gotten medication for it as he has gone days on end without sleep." Whitebeard nodded, that was fine, they would handle it. "We will manage, I have a feeling about that." Marco nodded as well. "I am too. Our children are understanding of others." Mika nodded. "Good. See you tomorrow." Whitebeard and Marco nodded and bid goodbye.

When they got home, he gathered everyone and said they would get a new brother, a brother called Ace, and that he had something called autism, and therefore he could act a bit unusual, but to not keep it against him or treat him differently. Everyone did nod at it and were excited about getting a new brother, and Whitebeard was excited to get a new son. They had a room prepared, Izou's old room, and he couldn't wait to have it filled again. They had 3 guest rooms, but they weren't as big. He hoped this would go fine.

When the next day came, they headed to the orphanage early, and when they got there, having called ahead, Mika met them by the door. "Ace is both excited and nervous, but he looks forward to belonging in a family. In his words; a family like what is shown on the TV and books. He doesn't remember his first foster family, so for him, this is his first family." Whitebeard nodded, he would do his best to make Ace feel welcomed. They then went and met Ace, who was ready and prepared to leave, having packed last night. When they saw him, he smiled, and Ace did as well. "Hi, Ace." Said Whitebeard when he was close, and Ace nodded. "Hello. I am ready to leave." That was good. Mika then took a step forward. "We're going to miss you. And before you leave, we want to give you this, as a parting gift." Mika then held the book from yesterday out, and Ace gave a bright smile as he took it. "Thank you. Won't it be missed?" Mika shook her head. "No, it won't. Be safe, Ace." Ace nodded, and they introduced themselves properly, Ace stating his full name, which was Ace D Portgas, he would leave it up to Ace if he wanted to take his name or not, and would mention it later.

They then got out in the car, and headed home. It was Thursday, and they had the next days off, and the other children were at school, so they had time to show Ace around. As they were in the car on the way back home, about a 30 minute drive, Ace kept silent, looking out the window. As they were nearing home, Marco turned to look backwards. "Ace, are you okay, yoi?" Ace nodded. "I'm counting cars." Ace had a sort of monotone voice, which didn't fit a child, but he guessed it was because of the autism. As they were continuing the ride home, just about 5 minutes left, Ace spoke. "Why do you say yoi? What does it mean?" Marco hummed. "It means nothing, I just can't help it. It's a verbal tic, yoi." Answered Marco, and Ace frowned a bit as he looked forward. "I've never heard it before. I don't get it." Marco hummed. "It's complicated, a bit. I just can't help it, yoi." Ace gave a small nod. "Should I say yoi?" Marco shook his head. "No, it's enough with me saying it, yoi." Ace nodded. "Okay."

The rest of the drive was done in silence. When they got back home and stepped out of the car, he gave a smile to Ace. "Welcome home, Ace." Ace blinked. "This… this is home now? What's the address?" Whitebeard hummed. "Forest road 4." Ace nodded. "Okay. Where will I be staying?" Whitebeard motioned to the door. "Why don't we head inside and I can show you around." Ace nodded and they headed inside. When they got there, they showed Ace around, before they got to his room, where he put his stuff down. Ace didn't show much emotion to it, but when he looked at them, he smiled. He had a feeling that was since he was smiling and Ace was reflecting, but Ace didn't seem unhappy. It would take time to get comfortable, he guessed. As Ace had put his things away, he looked at him. "What are the routines?" Whitebeard hummed. "We have breakfast at 7, before school, and dinner at 6, and supper around 8, and bed by 9." Ace nodded. "Okay. That sounds nice." They would enroll Ace in school and have a meeting with the school tomorrow. Marco would stay home with Ace, while he had the meeting.

It was calm after that, and when the other children came home, they were excited to meet Ace. Ace did hold his hand out to say hi, but Thatch didn't care as he moved up and hugged Ace. This had Ace react. He froze at first, before he pushed Thatch away, and when Thatch looked shocked, Ace held his hand out again, and Thatch looked confused, before he got it and shook hands, introducing himself, and Ace did the same. Haruta did also try for a hug, but this time, Whitebeard was prepared for a reaction and stopped the young girl, and asked her to just shake hands, which the girl did. He guessed Ace wasn't fond of touch. A child was usually glad to be hugged, but it didn't seem like Ace was.

The rest of the day went by fine, Ace speaking with the others a bit, but mostly stuck by himself, reading his book. He guessed Ace liked to be by himself, but if he wasn't good with others, he got it. The next day then came and he had the meeting at school, he said Ace had autism, which had them asking if he was retarded or not, which had him shocked. Why would Ace be retarded just since he had autism? He did ask about it, and the principal said they had had one another autistic child, but he wasn't fully developed in his mind, not having language and just acting like a child Which had Whitebeard nod, saying Ace wasn't, he had all his language, and they hadn't been told anything about him having issues like that. When they did ask about how he was, Whitebeard couldn't say too much, just that he didn't like touch and liked routines. Which was fine, as school was routine. But, the principal would be ready for anything. Ace wouldn't start school until Monday, so they had time to get to know him better.

He then headed home, where it had been quiet according to Marco. Ace hadn't made much of himself, but he guessed it would be a matter of time before he got comfortable. Whitebeard then asked if they should watch some TV, and he had checked last night, they could rent the movie to the book he was reading, and when he asked about it, Ace blinked. "There's a movie?" Whitebeard nodded, and Ace seemed to get a bit excited, which was good. So they rented the movie and watched it. Ace did frown through most of it, and when it was over, Ace tilted his head. "That wasn't like the book. It was much more." Whitebeard hadn't read the book, so he didn't know that, and asked if he had liked it, which had Ace frown for a bit, thinking, before he nodded. "I think I did. Could the kid really make your brains blow up?" Whitebeard shook his head. "No, he was joking, telling it so they would be scared of him." Ace blinked, before he nodded. "Oh, that was smart." It had been. Ace had seemed to enjoy himself, which was good.

The rest of the day went by fine, when the kids came home, Thatch said they had gotten some hard homework, and Ace asked if he could check it, as it was math and Ace said he was good at that. When Ace did, he managed to solve the riddles, and when Thatch asked how, Ace went on how he did it, how he started there, and then did this, and then that, before this, and then it was solved. He guessed Ace was good at math since there were routines in it. It was the same over and over, so he got why Ace liked it. They would need to use time to get to know Ace, and it would take time, but they would get there.

When the next day came, it was a Saturday, and the kids were home, the kids running around and playing, Ace joining them a bit at times, but as Haruta got excited and screamed a bit, Ace had left. Sounds could be a trigger to his autism, which both Mika had said and he had read it online, searching a bit on this autism. He didn't have a meltdown, as he had read could happen, Ace seemed good at handling it and had left, probably so he didn't have a meltdown. He had checked on Ace once, and he was in his room reading his book again, as he was often. He had thought about getting a few more books for Ace, so they should maybe go to the library and find a few new books for him to read. Maybe they should do that tomorrow. The library was open on Sundays. The rest of the day went by fine.

When Sunday came, they headed to the library, and he said to his children they could find books they wanted to read and get them. They ran around to find books. When he checked on them, Haruta and Thatch were checking out the comics, and when he found Ace, he held a book, which Whitebeard took as a good sign, but as he got closer, he saw it was the same book he had at home. It had him sigh internally. Ace should try a new one. "Ace, do you want a new book?" Ace shook his head a bit. "No, I'm good." Whitebeard did try and bring a few books past Ace, but he declined them all. Whitebeard did still buy some of the books, so they had more books home. None of his children read much, but Ace seemed to like it. Or, at least, he liked to read the book he had.

When they got back home, they decided to see a movie, and put on Megamind. Haruta did manage to grab the remote and turned the sounds up, liking the music in it. But as she did, he noticed movement by his side and looked over to Ace moving his hands to cover his ears, which had him look at Haruta. He usually didn't mind Haruta turning the volume up, but Ace didn't seem to like it, his breath hitching a bit. "Haruta, dear, turn it down a notch." Haruta nodded and did, at least a bit, but it was enough so Ace moved his hands away from his ears, and looked at the movie. Ace did seem to enjoy himself, but something he did notice, was that he seemed to mimic what Thatch was doing. When he smiled, Ace smiled, when he frowned, Ace frowned, when he laughed, Ace laughed. He was always a bit behind. When Thatch had run to the bathroom, and jokes were said or shown- Thatch had watched this movie before when he was sick, so he didn't mind them continuing it- Ace didn't laugh or smile, even when Haruta did. He did half chuckle one time when Haruta really laughed. When Thatch got back, Ace went back to mimic him. When the movie was over, he looked at Haruta and Ace, those who hadn't seen the movie. "Did you like it?" Haruta nodded. "Yes! I loved the music!" That was good. Ace gave a small nod. "It was good. A bit fast paced and loud."

The rest of that day went by fine, and when Monday came, they headed to the school Whitebeard joining as it would be Ace's first day. Ace did seem nervous, but didn't want to hold his hand- he had asked- and he noticed Ace concentrating on small things, looking around in the room they were in, and when he had asked what he was doing, Ace said he was counting windows. Whitebeard had read people with autism often concentrated on things they could count, to calm themselves. He got that Ace was nervous, it was a new school. He did have a familiar face as he was in the same class as Thatch was, which was good. Thatch could help keep an eye out on Ace. When he left, Ace seemed to be okay, nervous, but okay. When he had left, Ace had been looking upwards, and he guessed he was counting the tiles on the roof. Ace seemed adapted in handling his autism, even though he was still young. He still hadn't had a scene or meltdown, which he read was normal for people with autism to have.

When the children came home, Marco picking them up, Ace seemed tired, so he went to relax in his room. He hadn't seen any sign of Ace not sleeping, as he seemed to be asleep when he had checked on him before he went to bed. But, he was always awake in the morning, even when he had once checked at 5am. Maybe he should ask Ace about it. He seemed to know his mind well. When evening came and the children had gone to bed and he went to check on them before he went to sleep, going a bit early today as he was tired, Ace was still awake. When he opened the door, Ace frowned at him. "You don't usually check before 11, not 10:30." That made him believe Ace was awake when he checked, as he knew when he checked. "Ace, are you sleeping okay?" Ace gave a small sound. "I'm sleeping okay, I think." Whitebeard didn't completely believe that Ace slept well. "Are you sure? If not, you could get something to help you fall asleep." He had picked up some light sleep medication, as Marco needed it now and then. Ace did nod slowly, before he shook his head. "I'm fine." Whitebeard nodded, but he would keep an eye out.

The next few days went by fine, and when Wednesday came, and he was in between meetings, his phone rang, and he was shocked to see it was the school. They rarely called. His children were well behaved. Well, Thatch had been in trouble now and then, but not enough for them to call him. When he answered it, he heard Miss Robin start speaking, Ace's and Thatch's teacher. "I'm sorry to call, but Ace had a scene and breakdown, he's not in a state to continue school we feel. If he could be picked up, it would be the best." Whitebeard blinked. Ace had had a meltdown? This would be the first, and he said he would come and get him, Marco could take over his meetings. He did tell Marco why he needed to leave, and he looked worried, but knew he could handle this.

When he got to the school, he was led to the infirmary, where Ace was sitting in a bed, hands over his ears and breathing hard, eyes closed, muttering something to himself. The nurse that worked there, Bay, did say Ace had had a meltdown during home-ed, and she wasn't sure why, before she moved a hand to Ace's shoulder. "Your father is here." She said and Ace nodded, opening his eyes and looking at him, and Ace looked nervous and scared, maybe because he thought he was mad, which he wasn't. He was mostly worried. He then moved a hand to Ace's shoulder. "Let's head home." Ace gave a relieved breath at that as he nodded, and they headed to the car. When they were in the car and on their way home, he was about to ask what had happened, when he saw Ace staring out the window, mouth moving now and then, no sounds coming out, and after a few seconds, he got that Ace was counting cars again, so he let it go for now.

When they got home, Ace instantly went to his room and grabbed his book, sitting down on his bed and starting to read it. He let Ace be for an hour, before he moved to his room, and Ace seemed calmer, so he sat down on his bed, a hand moving to Ace's leg. "What happened at school?" Ace took a breath. "The lights… they were noisy… buzzing…" Whitebeard frowned a bit, before he thought about how the home-ed room looked, and remembered they had those old lights in there in the basement, where some of the home-ed were, and those could buzz, but it was really low, barely audible. Did that alone really cause Ace's meltdown? "Did nothing more happen?" Ace shook his head. "It was so loud. So loud." Whitebeard nodded, thinking back to what he had read, but nothing came up, But then he remembered what Mika had said. Low noises could be a trigger. He would speak to the school and ask if they could do anything to help.

He then let Ace be for a while, before Ace came down to him, sitting in front of the TV and watching some show. When the other kids came home, Thatch came up to him. "Is Ace fine? I'm worried." Whitebeard frowned. "Why?" Thatch frowned, looking worried. "He just… moved his hand to his ears and then he just fell down in a fetal position, muttering something I couldn't hear." Whitebeard nodded, that had probably been hard to watch, and he moved a hand to Thatch's shoulder. "Ace is fine." Thatch nodded. "Did it happen because of what you said? That thing?" Whitebeard nodded. "Autism, yes." Thatch nodded. "Can I do anything to help?" Whitebeard smiled. Thatch was a caring person. "Just be kind to him." Thatch nodded. "Okay, I can do that." That was good, and he knew Thatch would do his best.

The rest of the week went by fine. He had spoken with the school and they said Ace could be spared the home-ed class when they were in the basement, which were where they had been now. They would soon come to the kitchen, and he hoped the lights there didn't make any noise.

When the weekend came, Whitebeard got an idea for Saturday, and looked at his children during Saturday morning. "We're going to fish, who wants to join?" Thatch instantly said yes, Haruta declined, Namur wanted to go. He then looked at Ace, who nodded. "Yes! I never have before!" Ace was excited, which was good. or maybe he was mimicking Thatch, but he had a feeling Ace was genuinely excited. As they were heading out, Marco spoke from the kitchen. "Don't come back unless you catch some fish!" He said with sarcasm, which had him laugh. "Of course, Marco." They then headed to fish, driving a bit to get to the ocean, before they started to fish. He did show Ace how it worked, as Thatch already knew, the same with Namur. Ace had some issues at the start, but quickly got the hang of it. They had a children's fishing rod, while he had a normal one. They also met Izou by the ocean, who also joined in on fishing. They were out for almost 2 hours, but no bite, no fish to take back home, but it was fine. It was most to have fun and do something with his children, and he was glad Ace joined.. He felt they got to bond. Ace was settling with them, and while they had had a few issues, it was going fine.

But, as they were riding home, Ace was silent, even when Thatch tried to talk to him. And when they were nearing home, Ace looked forward to him. "Where are we going?" Whitebeard looked back at Ace in the mirror, not sure what he meant. "We're going home, son." Ace frowned at that. "But, we can't go back home." Said Ace, which had him frown. "Why not? Has something happened?" Ace looked confused with that, looking a bit scared. "But, Marco said to not come home if we didn't catch fish. We didn't catch fish, so we can't go home. We need to find a new home, or Marco will be mad at us." Whitebeard frowned, before he remembered Marco had said that. It had been laced with sarcasm, but it didn't seem like Ace got it. "Oh no, Ace. He was just joking." Ace frowned more. "Why would he joke about that? What if he didn't joke?" Thatch piped up with that. "He was being sarcastic." And that was when Whitebeard remembered what Mika had said. Ace didn't understand sarcasm. He looked at Ace in the mirror. "He was being sarcastic. It's when you say something, but in a joking manner." Ace frowned again. "I don't get it."

He got why Ace was scared, if he actually believed what Marco had said, which he apparently did. "I get it might sound weird, but sometimes we use sarcasm, which is meant as a joke." Ace nodded slowly, face still frowning. "How do I know when someone is sarcastic?" Whitebeard thought for a second, not sure how to respond. Marco had sounded the most sarcastic he could, Ace just didn't get it. "How about, we tell you when we're being sarcastic." Ace nodded. "I would like that, I don't get it." This was probably why Ace had been silent for the trip back home, actually believing they weren't welcomed back home. He would be sure to tell Marco this.

Ace did ask again if they were really welcomed home, and Whitebeard did his best to reassure Ace, that they were welcomed and that Marco was joking. And when they got home, they would see Marco wasn't mad or upset. Ace did still seem unsure. And when they got home, he could see Marco was on his way to speak, probably to ask if they got fish, but Whitebeard shook his head at him, making him frown a bit as he stood silent. Ace then went up to Marco. "Are you mad at us? Since we didn't get fish?" Marco did frown a bit, before he seemed to get it, and nodded. "I'm not mad. I was just joking, yoi." Ace blinked. "Why would you joke about that? It doesn't make sense." Marco nodded. "I shouldn't have joked about it, I'm sorry, yoi." Ace nodded. "Okay… I don't get it." He should have remembered that Mika had said sarcasm was hard, that was on him. But, it had gone fine. Ace was just a bit upset. Ace still hadn't had a meltdown around them.

When the week started again, the first few days went by fine. When Wednesday came, he was the one to pick up Ace, who didn't have any after school practice yet, so he was done two hours before the others. And on the way home, he noticed there was a lot of traffic, maybe an accident had happened, so he decided to take another way home. But as he pulled off the main way, Ace blinked. "Where are we going?" Whitebeard hummed. "Home, but I think there was an accident, so we're taking a different way home." Ace blinked, Whitebeard seeing his breath being caught in his chest. "But this is not the way home! I want to go home!" Whitebeard frowned, not sure what to do. "We are going home, just another way." Ace shook his head, breath hitching more. "No! This is not the way home!" Ace moved his legs up to be with him in the car seat, hands moving to his ears, eyes closed tightly. "I wanna go home!" Whitebeard moved to pull over, not sure what to do right now, and tried to move a hand to Ace's shoulder, but he just shrugged it violently off. "No!" Whitebeard wasn't sure what to do, he was just a couple minutes on the other road, so he decided he could handle some traffic, and turned around, heading back to the main road.

When they were on it, he sent a look at Ace. "See, Ace. We're back on the main road." He hoped this would help. He didn't want Ace to get worse. Ace slowly opened his eyes a bit, and when he saw they were on the main road, Ace nodded. "Okay, okay. We're going home. We're going home. Count cars, count cars." Ace then looked out the window, starting to count cars vocally, body shaking a bit. He was still breathing hard, but he seemed to be calming down. The rest of the ride was silent on his behalf, listening to Ace counting cars. When they got home, Ace went to his room and started reading his book again, as he often did. As Ace was fine, or finer, Whitebeard decided to make a call and called Mika, and asked a bit around how to calm Ace. Mika did say to mention things could help, like how many cars he could see, what the weather was and temperature. And when he mentioned what had happened, Mika did say that if you warned Ace before it, things would be easier for him as he was prepared. If not, stick with routine, or he could have a meltdown. It did help speaking with her, as she had first hand experience in this.

When Marco came home later, being the first home, he told about what had happened and what Mika had said. Ace had had a small meltdown, and it was, in a way, good to have seen it, so he knew what it looked like. And, the talk with Mika had really helped. Mika was also glad Ace was settling.

When the weekend came, Izou came to visit, and while he was there, they mentioned going to the mall, which had all the children excited, and Haruta and Thatch had for some reason thought they would take Izou's car. Which was impossible as it was only a two seat car, no seats in the back. But Haruta had said they could still sit in the back, and it sounded fun to not sit in a seat. So all the children, Thatch, Namur, Haruta, and Ace, had gone in the back of the car, closing the door. But, Izou had the parent lock on, meaning you couldn't open the back doors from the inside, so the children had gotten themselves locked inside the car, as it had some bars between the front and back. Whitebeard wasn't sure on how long, but they did notice when they hadn't seen the children in a bit, only to find them banging on the windows in the car to get out. And Whitebeard had quickly opened the door and got them out, and Hatura, Thatch, and Namur had gone to hug him, glad to be let out. But, Whitebeard had just put his arms around his children, which included Ace. And Ace had fought against him, which he didn't recognize at first, before he did as he let go and Ace was short of breath, looking panicked. He knew Ace didn't like hugs, so that was a wrong move.

When they did decide to go to the mall, Ace said he didn't want to go, not feeling like it. He wanted to stay home with Marco. Whitebeard wasn't sure what was the main reason not to, if it was the car or the hug, but he got it, and didn't push it. He did tell Marco he had accidentally hugged Ace, and he got it too. Hugging was a trigger for most with autism he had read, or general touch could be too much. He hoped things would go fine for the rest of the day with Ace. When they got back from the mall, Marco said Ace had used the entire time reading his book. But, he was down in meals and seemed fine.

When evening came and he checked on the children, all seemed asleep. But when the clock was 3am, he woke up, not managing to fall asleep again, so he moved up and headed down to the living room, where he was shocked to find Ace, sitting in front of the TV. "Ace, are you okay?" Ace just nodded, and Whitebeard moved to sit down next to Ace. "Ace, are you sleeping okay? Are you up a lot?" Ace shrugged. "Sometimes." Whitebeard nodded. "Do you want something to help you sleep?" Ace blinked. "Maybe." Ace had not taken his gaze away from the TV. He would try and give Ace a tablet tomorrow, and see how he reacted to it. Marco had a lot to help him sleep, and had mild tablets, which could be given to children. He had stronger ones too, but those weren't for a child.

Whitebeard then looked at the TV, seeing some old time show. "What are you watching?" Ace shook his head a bit. "They're behind." Whitebeard frowned. "What do you mean behind?" Ace shook his head a bit again. "The show. It's supposed to end at 3:15, but it's 3:20 now, and it's not over." Whitebeard had heard about that happening, the channel going a bit behind, and Ace seemed more interested in them being behind than the show itself. But the fact Ace knew this, made him believe this wasn't the first time Ace was up at this time. He could be sure to offer a tablet to Ace when evening came.

When the clock was 4am, Ace headed up to bed again, and Whitebeard was sure this wasn't the first time he had done this, maybe this was his routine during the nights, being up and watching this show until 4am, when he went up to his room again. As that thought hit him, that Ace might be up every other night and watching TV, he went through the guide and put a parental lock on shows he shouldn't watch, like shows with violence, sexual scenes, and other things like that. When Marco woke up a bit later, he did mention it to Marco that he felt Ace didn't sleep. Marco did agree to try and offer him a tablet when evening came. Sleeplessness was common with autism, and Ace might not want to admit it. It wasn't common for a child to have sleep issues. Ace might have noticed it at the orphanage that the other children slept when he didn't.

The day went by fine, no issues happening, and when evening came and he said goodnight to his children, he asked Ace if he wanted something to sleep on, which he nodded to, and got a pill from Marco's stash. Whitebeard really hoped it would help. Sleep had a lot to say on how the day would go, if you were relaxed or not. He did decide he wanted a doctor to check Ace, and maybe get a prescription for children's sleeping pills, and ordered an appointment for the next day, after school. Ace's ended at 12, as he still didn't have after school practice. And when he first saw Ace after having made the appointment, he said to Ace that tomorrow, they would head to a doctor after school, and not home. Ace seemed okay with it. Which was good.

When he picked Ace up from the school the next day, he sent a look at Ace. "Do you remember where we're headed?" Ace nodded. "To the doctor." Whitebeard nodded. "Yes. Good." They then headed to the doctor, and the ride went fine, Ace seeming to be counting cars again. When they got to the doctor's office and they got called up, the doctor first introduced himself to Ace, shaking hands. Whitebeard had said Ace had autism, so they were ready for it. The doctor then asked Ace some questions, before he asked him some questions. Before he wanted a general check on Ace. And at first, it was just questions, before he wanted to check a few physical things. And when he was checking Ace's eyes, Ace looked a bit uncomfortable, and when the doctor checked his ears, having a hand on his head, Ace looked really uncomfortable, eyes looking around, and it had him speak up. "Could you not have your hand on his head?" The doctor blinked, before he noticed Ace was uncomfortable. "Ah, yes. Sorry, Ace." Ace gave a small nod, before the doctor continued, this time not having his hand on Ace's head. Whitebeard was learning how to help Ace and what he reacted to.

When the doctor was done checking Ace, he went back to his chair. "Okay, you seem healthy Ace. Which is good. Do you have issues sleeping at night?" Ace sent him a look, and when he nodded, Ace did as well as he turned to the doctor. "At times." The doctor nodded. "How often during a week?" Ace gave an unsure sound. "Um, 4?" The doctor blinked. "4 times a week? That's a lot." Ace nodded slowly, not speaking, and the doctor nodded as well. "Do you want something to help with that?" Ace nodded, and the doctor turned to type on his computer. "I'll prescribe some sleeping pills for children. You can get them electronically at your pharmacy." Whitebeard nodded, that sounded good. "Can he take them each night? Or just now and then?" The doctor nodded. "You can take them each night, but try and keep to every other night." They could do that, and he would be sure to keep an eye out on Ace sleeping bad. They then left and headed home. And the day continued normally. When Marco came back with the other children, Whitebeard told him about the doctor's visit, and the other man was glad Ace got something to help.

The next few days were calm and normal, Ace was doing great, which was perfect. Ace got to choose if he wanted the pills at night, and sometimes he said yes, and sometimes he said no. When he said no, he made sure to keep his door ajar, so he could hear if Ace woke up and headed down. And he did notice it one night and had joined Ace and watched some tv. Ace did mention that tonight, they weren't behind, which he thought was good and normal, so they put on some light humor, which was two and a half men, which Ace seemed to like. He did notice Ace laughing when the laugh track was played, and only when the laugh track was. He guessed it was easier for him if he could follow what others were doing, and the laugh track told him when to laugh. Ace stayed up to around 4 again, before he went back to bed. When he had gone to check on Ace, the room was dark, but he had a feeling Ace wasn't asleep, so he carefully spoke up. "Ace?" It was silent for a few seconds, before the shape in bed moved, before Ace sat up and looked at him. "Yes?" Whitebeard gave a supporting look. "You don't need to head to bed if you can't sleep. You can sit up with me." Ace blinked, tilting his head. "I can?" Whitebeard nodded. "You can. Want to head down again?" Ace nodded and they headed down again, to watch some more TV, and was up until the rest woke up and then Ace needed to prepare for school.

As the day moved by, he got a call from the school and he was sure it was about Ace, but no, it was about Thatch. He had gotten in trouble as he had beat up 2 kids and was suspended from school for the remainder of the week. It was Wednesday, so it was just two and a half days, but still, it wasn't good. So he went and got Thatch from school, and when he asked what had happened, Thatch had never beaten someone up before, Thatch crossed his arms. "They were mocking Ace!" Whitebeard blinked. "What do you mean?" Thatch shook his head a bit. "They were mocking him for having that breakdown, and they wouldn't stop." Whitebeard sighed. It was nice of Thatch to stand up for Ace, but still. "You shouldn't have beaten them up, but have told a teacher." Thatch pouted, "I don't think so. They deserved it." Whitebeard did understand Thatch, but he shouldn't have done what he did. "Still, you're not allowed to watch TV for today." Thatch pouted more with that, but didn't say anything against it. He probably knew it was wrong of him.

The rest of the day went by fine, and when the kids came back home, Ace wondered why Thatch wasn't watching TV with them, and Whitebeard said it was since he had beat up kids at the school, and it had Ace tilt his head. "Is that bad?" Whitebeard nodded. "Yes, it is. You shouldn't beat up others. It's wrong." Ace nodded slowly. "Okay." The rest of the day went by fine, and when evening came, Ace said no to some sleeping pills, and as night moved by, he woke up when he heard a door opening, and he guessed it was Ace, so he woke up and headed down, finding Ace awake and watching TV. He stayed up with Ace, and when the clock was nearing 4, Ace looked at him. "Can I stay up?" Whitebeard chuckled, after hours, he asked now. "Yes you can. You don't need to fake sleep." Ace nodded. "Thank you." Whitebeard shook his head. "It's nothing. I want you to be comfortable here and not hide when you can't sleep." He didn't want that, he wanted Ace to know he could stay up if he couldn't sleep.

When day started and Ace headed off to school, the day went by fine. He was home with Thatch, as he felt Thatch wasn't old enough to be home alone just yet. The day went by fine, and when the other kids came back home, Ace had with him the homework for Thatch, which was due monday. As they were working on it, Whitebeard saying to do it now so they had the weekend off, Ace helped Thatch out as it was math. And as they were working on it, Ace got excited as they spoke about how to solve the problems, Ace seemed to like math, which was a bit unusual for a child.

But as Ace was excited and they were done with homework, it seemed like Ace had issues calming down again as he ran around in the house with Thatch, Haruta joining in. Ace hadn't done this before now, and he took it as a sign Ace was settling. When he asked the children to calm down, everyone did, aside from Ace, who seemed to have issues calming down. He kept moving rapidly and spoke loudly, rambling at times. After an hour of that, he moved a hand carefully to his shoulder. "Ace, take a deep breath and calm down." Ace blinked. "But I am calm!" Whitebeard shook his head. "No, you're not. Try and sit down and read your book." Ace nodded and did, moving to his room. When he went to check on Ace a bit later, about half an hour later, Ace was moving his leg up and down as he read his book.

But as he moved closer to Ace, he saw Ace was reading a new book, which had him blink "Ace, are you enjoying the book?" Ace gave a small sound, leg still moving up and down. "I don't get it." Whitebeard nodded, moving to crouch down next to Ace. "What is it you don't get?" Ace moved a few pages back and showed him a page. "I don't get why he's sad." Whitebeard blinked, reading the page, and it said the child in the book had lost his cat, which had Whitebeard hum. "He lost his cat, that makes people sad." Ace blinked. "Why?" Whitebeard wasn't sure on how to proceed at that start, before he looked at Ace. "Do you know what death is?" Ace nodded. "It is then you disappear forever." That was a way to think of it. "He's sad since he will never see his cat anymore." Ace nodded slowly. "I still don't get it." Whitebeard thought for a second. "Have you never had a pet?" Ace gave an um. "Um I did, there was a cat at the orphanage. He got hit by a car. But I wasn't sad."

This was probably one of the social things Ace didn't get. Maybe he didn't feel sadness the same way as others did and therefore didn't get it. "Have you ever been sad?" Ace blinked, before he nodded. "Yes, someone once broke a book I had. I was angry, then sad, I think. I liked that book." Whitebeard nodded. "It is the same for the child. He got sad since he liked the cat." Ace nodded. "Oh, okay." Ace didn't seem to have much social skills, he rarely played with the other kids, and things like this confused him, which a 'normal' child would have gotten. Or wait, that was wrong, Ace was normal, he just had a few issues. He liked Ace, he was glad he had adopted him. They were still learning things about Ace, what was okay and what wasn't, and it would take time, but they would get there. But as he was in Ace's room, he noticed something. The lights were dimmed, and they usually always were. How did Ace read in this poor light? "Why do you dim the lights? Wouldn't it be easier with them lit?" Ace hummed, turning back to his book. "The lights bother me when I relax." Okay, that was a new thing. "Does the light downstairs bother you?" Ace half shook his head. "Sometimes. But it's okay."

He nodded, and then he left Ace alone, so he could relax. The next few days went fine, and when Monday came and school was done, the children were running around and playing, Ace even joining them. That was rare, and he was glad Ace was feeling comfortable with everyone, at least in this household. As the kids were running around, he asked if they wanted some ice cream, which had every child move over to him, yelling that yes, they wanted ice cream,aside from Ace, who did it more calmly. He did try and ask them to calm down, hearing Haruta yelling the loudest, Thatch not far behind. But as the children were yelling, him hearing every but Ace, ace suddenly yelled up. "Shut up! Just shut up!" Yelled Ace, hands over his ears and eyes closed. The children did go quiet with it, and Ace hept his hands over his ears, eyes closed tightly.

Whitebeard moved his hands a bit. "Okay, okay, calm down everyone." His children did look upset, probably understanding they triggered Ace, especially Thatch. He then looked at Ace. "It's okay, Ace. We're calm now." Ace nodded, hands still over his ears and eyes closed. He guessed it took a bit for Ace to calm down. Haruta then looked at him. "Can we still get ice cream?" Whitebeard nodded, and Haruta smiled. "Yes!" She half yelled, which had Ace wince, and Whitebeard moved a hand towards Haruta. "Lower in volume, dear." Haruta blinked, looking at Ace. "Oh. Sorry." He then went and got the ice cream, turning the lights down for Ace a bit, so the kids would be calm, they were silent when eating ice cream. As the children had their ice cream, he went to Ace, moving a hand to his shoulder carefully, which Ace shrugged off. He then moved to crouch a bit down. "Ace, it's okay. Everyone is silent." Ace nodded, still having his eyes closed and hands over his ears. Whitebeard then tried to think of an idea, which came after some seconds. "Do you want your book?" Ace nodded, which was good. The book seemed to be calming to Ace. He had read that saying things could help as well, giving details, which he hasn't tried yet, but he knew the book usually worked.

He then moved Ace towards the couch, turning the light more down, before he went and got Ace's book. The other kids were in the kitchen eating their ice cream, and when he got down again, Ace was still on the couch and had opened his eyes, but had his hands over his ears. When he came and handed the book to Ace, he carefully moved his hands away from his ears and took the book, starting to read it. As Ace seemed calmer, he spoke up. "Do you still want ice cream?" Ace nodded, not taking his gaze away from the book. "Yes, I do." That was good, so he went to the kitchen and opened the freezer, as he did, Thatch spoke. "Will Ace be punished? Since he swore?" Whitebeard blinked, before he realised Thatch was right. They had labeled 'shut up' as a swear. What should he do now? Had it been one of the other children, he would have. But Ace did it so he wouldn't have a meltdown or breakdown. He gave a nod to himself as he came to a decision. "I will say it isn't okay to say that, and try to use other words. It's Ace's first." Ace hadn't done anything wrong yet. Thatch nodded. "Okay."

He then headed out to Ace again, handing him the ice cream, which he took with a hand, the other holding the book. He then sat down next to Ace. "Ace, about before. Shut up is a swear in this house. So please try to not say it." Ace blinked, before he looked at him. "What should I do then?" Whitebeard hummed as he thought. "Say 'be silent', or 'silence'. That should work." Ace nodded. "Okay. I can do that." That was good. He wasn't mad that Ace had said shut up, because he got it, he needed the others to be silent. Loud noises were a trigger, probably many voices too, he had read that. The rest of the day went by fine, nothing special happening, Ace using an hour to calm down completely. Things were going okay.

The next days went by fine, and when Thursday came around, and he picked Ace up from school he knew there was traffic on the way home, having seen it as a small accident had happened. So when Ace moved to sit in the car, he sent a look at Ace. "There is traffic on the way home, is it okay if we take a different route home?" Ace gave a small nod. "O-okay." He then started the ride home, reminding Ace a couple times they would take another drive home. As they took off the main road, he did notice Ace reacting a bit, breath hitching a bit, looking around, seeming to not be sure where to look. So, he decided to try something. "Do you know what kind of weather there is today?" Ace gave a small nod. "Sunny…" Whitebeard nodded. "Yes. It is sunny with a few clouds, and it is 70 degrees fahrenheit out." Ace blinked, looking at him. "How do you know that?" Whitebeard pointed at the dashboard. "Because this tells me it." He said as he pointed at the temperature, and Ace moved a bit to see it, before he nodded. "Sunny with a few clouds and 70 degrees fahrenheit." Ace repeated, and he had a feeling it did help. The ride home was mostly in silence, Ace repeating the sentence a few times, between counting cars, as there weren't many cars on the road they were on. He was glad it helped.

He was learning more about Ace and what helped and got to check out how different things worked on Ace. He was thinking of getting another copy of Ace's book and keeping it in the car, just in case. It could help when they were driving and when they visited other places, so he had something familiar with him. But overall, things were going fine.

**Author's Note:**

> _ And that's the story, I think. I hope you enjoyed _
> 
> _ I hope this story was good, and remember, Ace only has a mild autism in this, not a severe one. But, if it is wanted, and as I said at the start, I can make a one shot where Ace has a severe one and tell a bit about that, in my one shot series. For now, I hope this shed some light on autism, even though he has a mild one _
> 
> _ If you have any scenes you would like to see, don't be afraid to leave a comment _
> 
> _ And I love feedback too; it is what keeps me going! _
> 
> _ If you want to, come follow me on Twitter, where updates will be posted, and if I'm late. My twitter is _ [ _@Azuruko_](https://twitter.com/azuruko) _ You can leave comments, requests, ideas, or just say hi (a link is also on my profile). _
> 
> _ Or, you can join my Discord server, Azuruko’s fiction, for the same reasons as my twitter. Instant invite: _ [ _ https : / / discord . gg / 6hzMhbR _ ](https://discord.gg/6hzMhbR)


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